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I couldn't agree more :-) I grew up with nothing but plastic trees (and one of those god-awful tinsel trees for a while---I know some people just love those, but, ugh!) and never even experienced a real tree until I started dating my husband. His mom puts up a real tree every year, and now we do, too. There is nothing like it!
There are some other ways to deal with the tree after you're done: you can cut off the branches and lay them over some of your more tender perennials, or, you can lean the tree up against a fence or garage to offer shelter for the birds in the freezing weather.

Great rant, Jade.

We always get a real tree from a local place. When Christmas is over, I use the tree to support runner beans and sweet peas in my garden.

Great post! I've been baffled to read that some people object to cutting down a tree from Xmas tree farms. These aren't trees taken out of wild forests. They're from tree farms, not much different than farms that grow lettuce or broccoli for your consumption.

The local family-owned tree farm we buy from each year is keeping alive the small-farmer tradition. Surely their land would be paved over with big-box stores and gas stations by now if they weren't making at least a small profit while keeping the land rural and green. Let's support that!

And the City of Austin will pick up trees at the curb after Xmas, mulch them, and turn them into Dillo Dirt, a compost made and sold right here in Austin.

Aside from all that, you are right that a real Xmas tree brings a little more joy to the season.

There is even a type of tree that can be cut and the stump will grow a whole new Christmas Tree.

One of many tree farms in the 50th state.
http://www.helemanofarms.com/

Thank you for writing this. In 1995 we planted 25 Scotch Pine trees on our tree farm for our own use. We enjoyed the planting of the trees, we watched them grow, we have a tradition of cutting our own tree, we have the look and smell of a real tree and I have protection for my garden in the winter. This year, my teenage son took over the selection, cutting and trimming the tree.

In certain local counties (Northern Virginia) - REAL trees are illegal in multi-family dweelings (i.e. apartments) as they are a fire hazard. I'm not sure how many other places have this law, but I'd imagine more and more will then the law will spread to single-family dwellings. I'd keep an eye out on your local town and county council agendas.

Absolutely! Chopping up my little Christmas tree and adding it to the compost pile on New Year's Eve is one of my favorite Christmas traditions. It makes my compost pile smell wonderful for a good month!

We burned the last branches of my first ever "real" tree about a month ago during an unseasonably warm spell. It made autumn fires smell wonderful--and made for good chipmunk habitat as it dried out.

Great article. I had artificial trees for years, but missed the smell and ambiance (yes, energy too) of a real tree.

I have a friend in the tree farm business, too...in upstate NY...they just love it. Not only is it great being able to work outdoors among the trees, but meeting all the people who buy trees from them...it's really special.

In my area (Central OR) the Boy Scouts put a baggie with a tag on everyone's doorknob. If you put $5.00 in in the baggie and put the baggie on your discarded tree in your front yard, they will pickup and take to recycling for you. Easy for me, money for them, tree gets recycled...good for everyone!

I'm glad that this article rang true for so many of you. It was fun to write about something so dear to me. Thanks also to all the everyone for sharing the many thoughts on other creative ways to recycle and/or reuse a real Christmas tree in the garden.

One of my readers has asked whether there are laws against disposing of your live tree in your backyard - has anyone encountered that?

Kathy Jentz, yes indeed! As I wrote this, my research turned up several instances where folks in some single family dwellings and apartments may not be permitted to use live trees (but that's one of the few instances where I can see the value of an artificial alternative).

Interestingly enough, if you visit the NCTA’s page on fake trees, you’ll see that some research shows the plastic trees to be even more flammable than a well-cared for cut-tree.

One of my readers at Arboreality says she decorates her tree-shaped rosemary in the absence of a tree; in years past when I’ve been in apartments or small dwellings, I’ve decorated my bigger houseplants in lieu of a tree!

Thank you again to Susan, Amy, and Michele for inviting me back for a rant. ;)

Great post, Jade. Come back any time to enlighten us further.

We have in the past decorated the umbrella plant that used to stand in the corner of our living room. A living Christmas tree with a difference....

Speaking of rosemary, last year a couple ribbons and dreidels turned mine into a Hanukkah bush.

Indoor plants during the darker months add life and presense to the home (and keep the delicate ones from freezing :).

I grew up on a Chirstmas tree farm, and I can confirm all of the good things said here about tree farming. Christmas trees can be grown on marginal farmland, require few pesticides, and can be renewed year after year.

And regarding the fire hazard idea, check this out (on the National Christmas Tree Association website):

http://www.christmastree.org/faketrees.cfm#fire

Thanks ladies - I'm pleased to see this post "recycled"! :D

Since my in-laws live in a rural area where fireworks are legal, we save our tree and let it dry out, then tie firecrackers to it and set them off at midnight on New Year's. We keep a hose handy of course. It's quite a sight, and whatever's left (not much) after the tree burns goes into the compost pile. Beats Auld Lang Syne by a mile.

I disagree. There's something crass about cutting a robust and healthy tree to keep indoors for 2-3weeks and then pitch to the sidewalk with the rest of the trash. It's not about whether you like trees or not but rather if everything ought to be hastily labeled as "resources". I do believe that someday this kind of thing will be viewed as a tasteless excess of a bygone age. There's no shortage of mulch in the world and there's got to be better ways to keep our local farmers in the green.

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